A Word on Christian Tenacity

A Word on Christian TenacityHow do you keep spiritual focus in a material world that is crawling with distractions?Is there any way to capture a moment of inspiration and control its fantasy? How are we expected to keep our values in good order when daily we have to pay bills and scurry to work hoping to make the opportunity to pay more bills?How can Yahweh hear your voice amidst the conflagration of self pity and complaints that we are in the midst of and contribute to daily?What should we do to strengthen our resolve when it seems Satan undermines every good thing we accomplish?Why is it that some people seem to have the strength and courage to prevail over any challenges in their lives and others do not? Where does that kind of unwavering spiritual fortitude, determination and commitment in face of this challenging and self-indulgent material universe come from? Furthermore, how can I get it?How can we become happy in such a sad situation as this world?Our souls, the presence inside our bodies that define who and what we are, are pure and innocent. This essence originates in the most pristine place that exists. The breath of life that Yahweh breathes into us at birth, just as he breathed it into Adam, is a completing connection to the Divine source itself. In that moment, the moment in time when we become living souls, as Adam did, we exist in a state as close to perfection as we can come in our imperfect, sinful bodies. We are whole and complete. Then, as the worldly influences begin to work on us, that singleness becomes a dual existence; one spiritual, the soul, and the other physical, the body, and as we become dominated by different and conflicting self-interests the soul becomes more and more the alien within us and a schism develops.Repairing this chasm within ourselves demands enormous effort and exertion. Our souls must literally fight a grueling battle to conquer the relentless pull of materialism, all the temptations and seductions of the physical body and the material universe.Our physical bodies demand nothing less than to appease our lusts and wants. Our animal instincts unleash a furious retaliation whenever we try to depart from them and feed our spiritual aspects. And they assault our psyches and usually succeed to unsettle us with every type of baseless doubts and fears.The only way to triumph in this battle is through tenacity. We need to muster the deepest resources of the soul in sheer determination. Make a total and absolute commitment to forge ahead despite any challenge, unknown or doubt. The only way to achieve the energy to make that possible is with the power of Yahweh through prayer.We can access Yahweh’s power precisely when we are under attack. When we fight to live virtuous lives in a corrupt world, when we stand up firmly for justice and morality, when we combat selfishness, our own or others, our conviction evokes the deepest Divine, spiritual resources. As demonstrated with the example of an actual war: When a leader is threatened and goes to battle, the drive to win causes him to unlock his most precious treasures and resources, ones that have never before been seen, anything to help him prevail. The challenges of life then become catalysts that ignite our deepest strengths. The greater the adversary, the more powerful are the forces of certainty we awaken and the more determined we are to succeed.Complacency is the root of weak resolve. By contrast, when we feel that our spiritual identity is threatened and we fear betraying our own highest aspirations, this danger stimulates new energies and will power, which draws out the unshakeable core of the soul rooted in the unshakeable Essence of the Divine.There is no greater gift than the gift of determination: The absolute certainty that you are precious and indispensable; that you are on a mission championing a cause; that the place and time in which you find yourself is exactly where you belong; and that you have the power to make your unique mark on the universe.So the secret to access inner strength and resolve is by looking at our own doubts and procrastination as an “enemy.” Define the enemy and then gather all your inner strengths and go to battle. Allowing your enemy to empower you when the challenge seems particularly formidable is counter-productive: Instead of retreating, obstinately commit. Adopt an irrational tenacity, to fulfill your mission to refine your corner of the world.When you make that commitment, your inner soul, riding high on the power of prayer to Yahweh, will carry you to victory.